Addictions to help mitigate decades of irresponsible political spending? It’s preposterous, but that is out-going left-wing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s prescription to reduce (not solve) the nagging pension crisis.

Emanuel and others like him think that hooking Illinois citizens into vices like marijuana and casino gambling is a legitimate way to realize new revenue sources. Of course, ill-gotten gains from dope and gambling are inadequate in-and-of-themselves and require spendthrift politicians to increase our gasoline tax by 20-30 cent per gallon to feed their insatiable spending habits.

Instead of cutting government waste and bloat and instead of tackling real job creation and education reform, these politicians foolishly think that enslaving citizens is the panacea.

There is a plethora of evidence from states like Colorado and Washington about the serious consequences of marijuana legalization. In their reckless pursuit of “easy” tax revenue, will policy-makers consider these ill-effects on society? Will they consider the significant health ramifications; mental health issues; marijuana-related deaths and suicides; impaired-driving accidents and fatalities; marijuana’s effects on children, adolescents and schools; marijuana’s effects in the workplace; and marijuana’s draining effects on law enforcement and the medical community?

As far as a city-owned Chicago casino, it clearly will not only hurt families and the local economy, but it will further fund the irresponsible left-wing political machine in Chicago and Cook County. Yes, it will serve to prop up the Emanuel/Daley/Pritzker/Madigan/Durbin Democratic machine.

Moreover, if the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and other municipalities want to create or maintain a successful gambling industry, they must create losers–lots of losers. Far too many public school systems have failed to adequately equip students to read, write, and understand basic arithmetic. Now we want to take advantage of these under-educated citizens in casinos where the odds are stacked against them?

These policies would add to the homeless problem; increase crime, unemployment, suicide, domestic abuse, and alcohol abuse while creating broken families and new addictions. The enormous costs to society will certainly far outweigh any projected financial benefits.